


Such a Boy

by overratedantihero



Category: Green Arrow (Comics), Green Lantern (Comics), The Flash (Comics)
Genre: Hal has commitment issues, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Optimistic End, Recovering from Dysfunction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-12
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2019-03-03 19:38:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13348125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/overratedantihero/pseuds/overratedantihero
Summary: Hal has trouble coping with a shift in his and Barry’s dynamic.





	1. Chapter 1

Barry woke up in an empty bed that still smelled like Old Spice, ozone, and worn leather. He blinked and extended his arm to rest his hand on the wrinkled sheets beside him. They were cool to the touch, which meant Hal left a while ago.

Hal always woke up first, fell asleep last. The last time Barry saw his sleeping face was well before they’d begun sharing a bed. Barry could remember an era where Hal would lean against him during a football or baseball game, and would pass out on Barry’s couch after too much pizza and beer. Barry would drape the throw blanket over him and in the morning he’d find Hal burrowed in his pantry, collecting food for breakfast.

But then they had watched a particularly suspenseful game and their team barely scraped a touchdown in overtime and suddenly Hal’s lips were on Barry’s, and Hal’s hands were on Barry’s waist, and then Barry fell back and Hal crawled over him and Barry had deliriously mumbled, “I like men,” into Hal’s mouth. Barry wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting. Maybe he thought Hal would recoil, would fall back on his hypermasculinity.

Hal had just laughed and said, “Yeah. Me too.”

For an evening, Barry had reveled in optimism, relief, and overwhelming affection. It was all too soon. The next morning, Hal had disappeared without breakfast and Barry was left with the crushing realization that the nature of their relationship had fundamentally changed. Barry wasn’t Hal’s best friend anymore. Barry now one of Hal’s entanglements, and Hal was terrified of his entanglements.

Nevertheless, like the tide, Hal came and went, always paying mind to see Barry when Hal returned Earthside, but never staying for very long.

The Flash and Green Lantern abruptly shifted the Justice League seating arrangement. No one complained, but Barry could feel Bruce’s evaluative stare through the whites of Bruce’s lenses. J’onn stumbled upon what has happened almost immediately, and he projected thoughts of chemical formulas at Barry until Barry could focus again.

Nothing had changed since that initial, awkward aftermath. Hal showed up on his doorstep, but the banter lost its playful edge and Hal didn’t pilfer the pantry or pass out on the couch anymore. Barry kept his refrigerator stocked with Hal’s preferred brand of beer, as if Hal were a wayward pet that Barry could lure home, but the beer remained untouched.

Barry withdrew his hand from the wrinkled sheets and curled in on himself.

* * *

 

“Dude, you’ve gotta cut this shit out,” Oliver said, taking a quick sip of whiskey before resuming the fighting video game he and Hal were playing. They initially wanted an actual sparring session, but Dinah and the girls had claimed the home gym for a spell.

Oliver was pretty sure he could take Helena in marksmanship, but he didn’t want to test that theory quite yet.

“Nah, man, I’m on a winning streak,” Hal murmured, eyes glued to the screen as he mashed buttons. “I’m kicking your ass.”

“Without any finesse,” Oliver shot back. “But no, I’m talking about you avoiding Barry. Between the Birds of Prey and my rapidly expanding crew of disgruntled mentees, the house is getting full for you to be sleeping on the couch.”

“I’m not avoiding him,” Hal slouched deeper into the couch. “I make sure to see him when I come around.”

Oliver snorted. “Yeah, you fuck him and leave him. He probably feels like your mistress.”

The screen flashed red and Oliver smirked as Hal’s HP dropped dramatically. Oliver took advantage of Hal’s sulking to finish off Hal’s character.

“Is emotional terrorism mentioned in the Geneva Convention?” Hal griped.

“I don’t know, dude, you’re the intergalactic diplomat. Rematch?”

Hal tossed the controller onto an empty recliner before flopping face down on the couch, closed enough that some of his hair fanned out on Oliver’s thigh. Oliver pat his shoulder consolingly.

“You’re going to ruin it if you don’t fix it,” Oliver warned. Hal lifted his head to glare.

“You don’t even like Barry, get over yourself.”

Oliver rolled his eyes and pushed Hal’s head back down.

“I can’t stand Barry. But I love you and this is clearly fucking you up. I’ll put up with him if it means you’re happy and healthy.”

“Sounds like you’re pretty gay for me, Ollie,” Hal said into Oliver’s thigh.

“Sounds like you’re pretty bisexual for your inferior best friend,” Oliver amended, “and that’s okay. But it won’t be if you keep acting this. Take the jump. Fly into the face of bare minimum commitment. Man up, you’re a Green Lantern.”

Hal sat up. “You’re the worst. I’m going to shave your face while you sleep.”

Oliver delivered a dazzling smile. “Do it and I’ll use you for target practice.”

* * *

  
Barry unlocked the door to his apartment and pushed in, balancing two paper bags of groceries. Then, he froze, so much so he didn’t even catch the door before it slammed shit behind him.

Sitting at his kitchen counter, drinking one of the beers, was Hal. As tightly as Hal clutched his beer, he’d relaxed enough to leave his shoes near the door and throw his jacket over his chair.

“Hey, Bar,” Hal murmured, not quite looking at Barry. “Want to watch the game?”

Briefly shaken from his reverie, Barry blurted, “Did you break into my apartment?”

Hal shook his head, pulled a key from his jeans. “You made me a spare. Forever ago. In case I needed a place to stay and you weren’t around to let me in.”

Barry remembered that, vaguely. That was a years old key. Barry couldn’t remember a time where Hal used it- he usually just came home with Barry or swung by when Barry was home.

“Okay,” Barry said. “I have queso we can heat up. Want to go put the game on?”

All of the tension drained from Hal’s shoulders. He set his beer down and hopped out of the chair. “Yeah,” Hal said, walking towards the living room.

While Barry put away groceries and popped the queso in the microwave, he heard the pre-game commentary filter in from the living room. Barry smiled and rolled a bell pepper in his hand.

“Hey, Hal?” Barry called. Hal poked his head around the corner.

“Yeah, Bar?” Hal asked. And Hal was so beautiful, standing in Barry’s doorway with his big brown eyes and tilted head, that Barry almost swallowed his question lest he ruin Hal’s tenuous gesture.

But in an act of will that Barry decided would make Hal proud, Barry asked, “Wanna stay for dinner?”

Hal blinked but then smiled. “Sure, Bar. Let’s do dinner. And then tomorrow we can hit up that diner uptown for breakfast... if you’re cool with me staying the night.” Hal scratched the back of his neck.

Barry smiled to disguise his relief. “I’d like that.”

 

 

 


	2. Bonus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo, so this was originally the beginnings of this story. I briefly lost it in a computer update and then recovered it (but by then, I went ahead and rewrote the entire thing from scratch.) Didn't want this pre-draft to go to waste, so enjoy. Same story, different words.

“I just need more space,” Hal said, tugging at the sleeve of his father’s jacket as he backed up so that Barry’s coffee table separated them. Hal looked ridiculous, his leather jacket slung over bare skin, jeans tugged on so hastily that the zipper was still down.

“I’m not keeping you here, Hal,” Barry murmured, dropping his crossed arms to his sides. “You’ve got a whole universe, you can go whenever and wherever you want.”

Hal took another step back. “It’s not you,” he began, but Barry shook his head.

“I know. You said that last time too. Go, get some fresh air. I’ll be here if you decide to come back.”

Hal muttered something that resembled appreciation before he shuffled out the door, without crossing past Barry to fetch his shirt from the bedroom. This is how Barry’s interactions with Hal worked these days: Hal would touch down and see Barry. He’d be grateful and excited and loving, having missed Barry while abroad. These were Barry’s favorite moments: the ones where Hal forgot himself long enough to curl against Barry, relish in Barry’s company, eat breakfast the morning after.

But then, as if dashed with cold water, Hal would come out of his post-return high. He’d recede back into himself and grow restless. Barry’s apartment would become suffocating, and then Hal would fashion some excuse to leave. Barry wouldn’t see him again until either a Justice League engagement or until Hal returned from space again. It wasn’t always like this. At one point, Barry and Hal had been friends. Too close to keep separate for very long, at least not while Hal was Earth-side.

Now Hal ran to Oliver for friendship, and he only slunk into Barry’s arms when he managed to repress his paranoia and averseness to emotion. Which wasn’t often.

Barry lamented their deteriorating relationship. Barry had hope Hal would get over himself. Until then, Barry’s door was open.

 

* * *

 

 

“Dude, I hate the dude and I can still assure you, you’re being an ass,” Oliver muttered, squinting at the television in concentration as he methodically pressed the keys on his video game controller. They’d intended to blow off steam by sparring in Oliver’s home gym, but Dinah was there, with Helena and Babs. Oliver wasn’t willing to pick that fight, so they settled on stress relief by other means. Simulated fights weren’t nearly as engaging, but they were entertaining enough.

“He knows what we are,” Hal muttered, slouching against the couch as he mashed buttons. Oliver let out a huff.

“Which is what?” Oliver asked. “Are you sure he knows what he’s supposed to be in your life?”

Hal shrugged. Poked at the buttons on his controller listlessly.

“At least pretend to try,” Oliver muttered as Hal’s character went down on the screen. As if struck himself, Hal flopped over and buried his face in the couch arm. Oliver sighed and tossed his controller off to the side in favor of patting Hal’s shoulder. “I have whiskey. Want whiskey?”

“No,” Hal murmured.

Oliver chewed his lip before taking a deep breath. “You two aren’t even in that deep. It’s just sex, right? You’re into sex. You’re into Barry, for reasons I can’t fathom. What’s the big deal?”

At that, Hal sat up and leveled an accusatory glare at Oliver. “It’s not just sex,” Hal insisted, crossing his arms. “It’s _Barry_.”

Oliver blinked. “Yeah, no, we established that. We covered the fact it’s Barry. There’s no confusion as to who this is about.” The glare worsened and Oliver threw his hands in the air. “What?!”

“I don’t think you understand when I say it’s Barry. He doesn’t deserve this shit. He’s too sweet and too patient. He lets me come and go and doesn’t even get pissed when I leave my shit all over his apartment.”

Oliver hummed. Dinah put up with his shit too. “So why are you here and not there? Not that I don’t want to hang out, I’m glad to see you when I get the chance, but you’re not here to see me right now.”

Hal mumbled, “Sorry,” and leaned over, bumping against Oliver’s shoulder. “You’re a good friend.”

“You’re not answering the question,” Oliver reminded him, picking the controller back up. Hal picked his up again too, rolling his shoulders to ease the tension.

“There isn’t a question,” Hal said as Oliver unpaused the game. There was a period of silence, broken only by the clacking of their buttons. It wasn’t until Oliver’s character went down and the game was paused again that Hal finished his thought. “He’s Barry and I’m me, and that shit doesn’t work. Not for Barry, at least. It’ll be Carol all over again.”

“People love you, Hal,” Oliver offered. “That’s something to respect. Don’t know why you want to run from it so badly.”

“Yeah? And I don’t understand why you’re so interested in my relationship with someone you claim to hate,” Hal snapped back, restarting the game.

“Like I said,” Oliver said. “People love you. I give a shit when you’re unhappy. Right now? You’re unhappy. That, and you’re miserable to be around when you’re whiny.”

Hal shoved him again and then Oliver shoved back and then they abandoned their controllers and their game to wrestle on the living room floor. By the time Dinah, Helena, and Barbara resurfaced from the gym, Hal and Oliver had broken one vase and were about to roll into Dinah’s records collection when she threatened to canary cry the both of them to hell.

The two boys separated, catching their breath, and scrambling to give some distance between themselves and Dinah’s records.

“Gym’s open,” Dinah said, jutting her thumb behind her. “If you need to work out whatever it is you’re working out, do it there.

Oliver and Hal stood, dusting themselves off and stretching. “Thanks, Di. But I should probably head home.” He let his arms fall to his sides. Oliver quirked an eyebrow at him.

“Hal, you’re technically homeless,” Oliver said incredulously. “You actually have your own room here. That’s how often you sleep here.”

“Not even technically,” Dinah offered. “You’re actually homeless. Where are you going?”

Hal scowled. “Barry’s. Going to Barry’s. You both fucked up my subtle nod at our previous conversation and my consequential development.”

“’s what we’re here for,” Oliver said, mussing Hal’s hair.

**Author's Note:**

> I love my dysfunctional, emotionally unavailable Green Lantern


End file.
